Oscar-Winning Composer Hans Zimmer Was in First Ever Video on MTV

Before he wrote the scores for hundreds of movies including Gladiator, The Lion King, for which he won an Oscar, and most recently Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer played the synthesizer for the Buggles. The Buggles are best known for their 1979 hit “Video Killed the Radio Star,” which happens to be the first video ever to play on MTV.

Hans Zimmer in the video for “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by the Buggles. (Photo: Epic Records)

“For me, it really was the impetus to go into, ‘Hey, I like this idea of combining visuals and music. This is going to be where I want to go,’” Zimmer said.

And that’s exactly where he went. Zimmer combined visuals and music in the form of over 100 movie scores. But this summer, he went back to his rock star roots with a world tour, which included Coachella.

“I didn’t know what to expect from the audience and the audience didn’t know what to expect from us,” Zimmer said. He added, “To see so many grown men cry … I mean, we touched them. We moved them. We did give them that experience.”

As if Zimmer isn’t already great enough, having been nominated for 10 Oscars and winning one, he thinks he can be even better.

“I’ve been hiding behind the screen,” Zimmer said. “I’ve never looked them in the eye. It’s making me a better composer. It really is.”